Siberian chiffchaff

Two chiffchaff on Middleton - collybita near solrec and a tristis type along the southern golf course edge hedge

Roe Deer save the day

Three Roe Deer together on Middleton the only sighting of note today (thanks Malcolm)

Long range lingerers

11 common scoter were in the Kent channel

The only other things worth noting were 10 eider, Czech med gull and about 18 small finches on the north wall

Middleton held 8 teal but nothing else of note with diving suck still absent

Meagre coastal fare

Flock of eight distant common scoter off heysham head on Kent channel

Large tit flock on heysham head included single treecreeper and nuthatch

A heysham ringed twite was seen at the feeder with about 18 linnet and low single figures of goldfinch

A circuit of the north wall sandworks and mound saw just one 1CY rabbit!

Nothing new

Oystercatchers and Redshank in the roost on the seawall yesterday

Jack snipe Middleton nature reserve but a virtual absence of wildfowl with no diving duck - never known this happen in non freezing conditions

Heliport roost

Decent number of birds on the heliport roost today-  initially all on the seawall then spilling on to the seawall and grassland east of the heliport surface

Oystercatcher - 9100
Redshank - 470
Turnstone - 22
Lapwing - 34
Ringed plover 34
Dunlin - 19
Lapwing -41
Knot - 1!

Nothing offshore

1500 oystercatcher in field north of heysham head also fox!

Sea bits

Intermittent seawatching in the morning saw:

Red-throated diver - 2
Kittiwake - 1cy out, flock 27 in, ad behind Ben
Pintail - flock of 6 out
Auk app - 5 plus 3 out
Razorbill - 2 out
Med gull - Czech ad and possibly another ad behind Ben

North Harbour Wall feeding area:
Linnet - 17,  at least 30% with rings
Goldfinch - 7

7200 oystercatcher heliport
420 redshank heliport early on at least

14th and 15th November

Nothing I am aware of from the 14th, certainly not from a very rapid circuit of the north wall

15th
Kingfisher - one by dipping pond Heysham NR (thanks Janet)

About 18 finches - 50:50ish Goldfinch/Linnet - on north wall seed.  Still no lingering Twite despite a significant number much closer than last autumn/winter

Decent coverage highlighted by Siberian Chiffchaff and Short-eared Owl

The main feature today was Blackbird as some murky conditions and very intermittent drizzle saw a decent late autumn fall. 

Grounded
Blackbird - at various sites (Tank farm, Middleton, Heysham NR, Half moon bay café and area scrub, Ocean Edge fringe scrub = 150-180, including some flocks eg 15 by HNR car park.  Undoubtedly more if the anemometer area and golf course edge had been grilled
Redwing - 6
Song Thrush - 2
Goldcrest - at least 7 new birds at Heysham NR and three unringed birds with LTT flock near Half moon bay.  No evidence Middleton.
Long-tailed Tit - minimum three flocks of unringed birds, one intercepted in Heysham NR nets plus 15 by Half moon bay café and c15 by anemometer
Meadow Pipit - 13 Ocean Edge and 15 dodging dogs on the grassland inland of half moon bay (odd choice!)
Skylark - one Ocean Edge
Short-eared Owl - one tank farm in the wet bit in the middle - landed again at far end so left in peace
Siberian Chiffchaff - one nice non-contentious buff bird in the bracken area on the tank farm, calling regularly and see very well for about 15 seconds when seen to be ringed on the right leg with a shiny new BTO-type ring.  Definitely not ours!
Brambling - male tank farm north end
Chaffinch - c8 tank farm
Blackcap - female ringed HNR feeder nets

Vis mig
Skylark - 2 S at Ocean Edge

Ringing
At last some effort possible in the feeder rides next to the office as the construction site does not now include any trenches across the access.  Combined new birds Middleton/Heysham: Blackbird (9),  Blue tit (4), Robin (1), Song thrush (1), Goldcrest (7), Goldfinch (3), Long tailed tit (9), Greenfinch (1), Wren (1), Chaffinch (1), Blackcap (1CY female).
Odds and ends, including WeBS highlights
Kingfisher - one Red Nab
Snipe - 12 OE foreshore and flock of 12 also Middleton NR plus two singletons
Med Gull - Czech adult
Pink footed goose - large flocks moving NE around 08.00 high over MNR totalling at least 5000. possibly disturbed by wildfowlers to the south?
Ringed Plover - 19 OE and 16 heliport
Turnstone - 38 wooden jetty
Wigeon - 113 Red Nab of which 91 remained over the tide

Heliport seawall WeBS count
Redshank (160), Ringed Plover (16), Turnstone (11), Dunlin (19), Oystercatcher (2250), Curlew (2), Lapwing (3).  All bar 5 Oystercatcher on the seawall or top of seawall with calm conditions and tide less than 10m. Mammals
Grey Seal - one

The view from the top

Heavy overnight rain had left puddles and slippy leaves everywhere. Heysham Barrows was doubly treacherous as a result, having to avoid multiple dogs racing around and watching your step on the leaves in the wood and the wet grass on the slopes. Having successfully reached the "summit" the view from the top yielded the following:

Common Scoter - a raft of 27 in the distance

Closer in were:
Great-crested Grebe - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 4
Eider - 3 (around  Heysham skeer)
Little Egret - 3 (on Heysham skeer)
Oystercatcher - several thousand feeding on Heysham skeer.